Meat-loving Argentines shun beef as inflation bites

SAN ISIDRO, Argentina (AFP) — As New Year’s festivities draw near, meat-loving Argentines are readying their famous “asado” grills — traditionally laden with steaks, ribs and sausages.  

This year, however, menus will feature much more chicken, pork and even vegetables as inflation puts beef beyond the reach of many and societal values change.

Argentines have for years vied with their neighbors in Uruguay for the title of world’s top beef eaters.

But in 2024, Argentina recorded an historic low of 47 kilograms (kgs) of red meat consumed per person on average, according to the IPCVA beef promotion institute.

Despite a slight rebound to an estimated 50 kgs eaten per person in 2025, consumption was half the nearly 100 kgs of beef Argentines were devouring at the end of the 1950s.

Pork and chicken, both cheaper than beef, both grew in popularity in 2025, and the UVA vegan union says more than one in 10 Argentines are now non-meat eaters.

“There are more of us all the time. These days, everyone knows a vegetarian or a vegan in their family,” UVA president Manuel Alfredo Marti told Agence France-Presse.